Last Respects
by Mystic8668
Summary: When Buffy reaches the other side it's not as bad as she expects it to be. Also the Scooby Gang's reaction in the weeks past Buffy's death.


Buffy The Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, Upn, the Grr Argh people, and whoever else definately not me.  
  
Last Respects  
  
The portal didn't look so bad from the platform. Just pretty, it reminded Buffy of the Christmas lights she used to see when she was a little kid, but now when she was inside she had this horrible headache. She couldn't see, her world at turned black. It felt like millions of daggers were stabbing into every inch of her body, the pain seemed endless. She had felt so sure of herself, it was her job to save the world, save her friends -her family, but now she wanted to live. More than anything else she wanted to wake up walk out of her bedroom and step into the sun. She just felt this time she wasn't going to get lucky and make it through some twist of fate. It was her time to go.  
  
"Blood starts it, and until the blood stops flowing, it'll never stop." She remembered dawn saying, Buffy had felt so responsible for Dawn having to go through the pain. She was her kid sister. Well, she had finally noticed Dawn wasn't so much a kid anymore. She didn't care if she was the key, she was bher sister/b  
  
All of the sudden the pain had stopped her headache was gone she didn't feel so dizzy. The blinding darkness was gone. She had opened her eyes and she could see, at least see somewhat.  
  
"Where....where am I?" She said wiping a tear from her eye, she had made it this far she wasn't going to cry. "If this is Hell than throw your best demons at me, I bet you I can kick their ass." She said rubbing her eyes trying to get a clear vision.  
  
"Buffy, sweetie, this isn't Hell." A voice said very close to her. Her vision was becoming more clear she could make out physical features.  
  
"Mom? Mom..." Buffy said regaining her full vision and running to her mother.  
  
"Take my hand." Joyce said smiling at her daughter. Buffy looked at her and grasped her hand, walking into the light.  
  
bTwo Weeks After Buffy's Death/b  
  
Willow sat in her room, looking through an old photo album with pictures from High School. Things seemed somehow less complicated back then. More carefree. Sometimes she used to wish she could have stayed sixteen as long as she could. No vampires. No demons. No apocalypse. No Glory. Just boys and school, normal things.  
  
She had reminisced a lot like this lately. All she could think was that there was some sort of magick she could have worked to save Buffy. What if she was in some sort of Hell dimension? Buffy was her best friend, and she had lost her. A piece of her was gone now, too. Willow felt terrible, but she supposed Dawn had taken it the worst. She blamed herself for everything. She thought she could have jumped into the portal, she didn't understand that Buffy would never let her do that.  
  
Willow had worried even about Spike. Even though he was a vampire, she knew somehow that he really did love Buffy. When her body fell onto the ground laying there lifeless her was the first to go to her lifeless form. He couldn't stop crying. None of them had seen him since. He had probably stayed in his crypt drunk beyond comprehension.  
  
Xander opened the door with a somber expression on his face. He was dressed in all black. Though Buffy couldn't have a traditional burial, they all felt she deserved respect. Xander- he tried to be strong, strong for everyone.  
  
"Will, it's time to go." He said softly as Willow wiped her eyes and put the picture album under neath her bed.  
  
She sniffed, "Ok."  
  
Xander and her slowly walked down the stairs, to the rest of the Scooby Gang. Dawn was trying keeping a straight face, she tried to do that a lot. Giles stood behind her holding a beautiful bouquet of Buffy's favorite flowers of which would go on her grave. He had even managed to get a gravestone and burial site without questions from some Watcher Council connections.  
  
Tara and Anya had watery eyes, they hadn't been around with Giles, Willow, and Xander when Buffy had moved to Sunnydale, but still they were very close friends. Anya thinking back wished she would have had her demon powers and saved Buffy somehow, but wishing doesn't change the past.  
  
bBurial Site/b  
  
The freshly uplifted soil had been covered in flowers from Buffy's friends, no more like her family. Her tombstone had read: Buffy ANNE SUMMERS 1981-2001 BELOVED SISTER DEVOTED FRIEND SHE SAVED THE WORLD A LOT if a person had passed it not knowing Buffy they would just think she was a good listener or something of that sort, but no she was the Slayer, the chosen one.  
  
iI'm sorry I heard about the bad news today A crowd of people around you Telling you it's okay And everything happens for a reason/i  
  
Willow kneeled down and traced the tombstone writing with her finger and started to cry, holding her hand over her face she stepped back.  
  
iWhen you lose a part of your self To somebody you know It takes a lot to let go Every breath that you remember Pictures fade away but memory is forever/i  
  
Giles dropped a red rose upon the other flowers, he had been more of a father than a watcher to Buffy. He had been more of a father to her than her own.  
  
iAn empty chair at all the tables And I'll be seeing you when all my days boil down But it's better where you're going anyway/i  
  
Xander took out a letter from himself to Buffy from his coat pocket and settled it underneath the dirt. He had written it the night she died, hoping somehow she could read it.Telling her how much she was loved and missed.  
  
iI'm sorry I heard about the bad news today It's really hard to get through Tough times and long days But it really just depends on the season/i  
  
Dawn knelt down and whispered, "Hey Sis, I...love you." she muttered holding back her tears.  
  
iFor now we'll say goodbye We know it's not the last time I've lost the best part of my day But it's better where you're going anyway/i  
  
Anya and Tara had become very good friends since Buffy's death. They walked up to the grave, and just looked crying, not able to speak.  
  
They all had paid their respects, unsure if she could see them, but she was ok.  
  
iThis is the last thing I will remember It's better where you're going anyway/i  
  
(Song lyrics from New Found Glory. The song's Sonny and it's available on the CD Sticks and stones.)  
  
Chapter 2 Soon! 


End file.
